| Subject: Re: Banning SUVs |
Author:
mjc
|
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Date Posted: 06:59:16 08/02/04 Mon
Author Host/IP: redback-64.shoreham.net/65.161.90.191
In reply to:
Michael K
's message, "Re: Banning SUVs" on 01:37:27 08/01/04 Sun
I mostly agree, but must put in a little bit of real-world, non EPA observation. My Chevy truck, similar in drivetrain to a 3/4 ton suburban, actually delivers more like a miserable 10 or 12 mpg, and always has. I think it was EPA rated for something like 17 on the highway but that's dreaming. On the other hand, my wife's Honda Civic, a serviceable and well-appointed 4-door sedan, gets a real world average of about 37 even with an automatic transmission. It drops to mid-30's with 4 snow tires.
so I think there is a point to observing that people who use a big heavy SUV to do the work of a little car are wasting fuel, and that "twice" figure may be pretty close.
On the other hand, of course, there are SUV's and SUV's. Not every SUV is a Hummer or an Expedition. A box-stock Explorer, or a Jeep Cherokee or Liberty, or one of those new-generation mini-utes equals most ordinary cars of similar capacity. There's no appreciable difference in mileage, and much of the problem is one of perception. I've had a succession of utilitarian wagons over the last few years, and the approximate average (overall, real world, all conditions) fuel mileage of these has been: 78 Pontiac Lemans, 17; various VW buses, 20-24; '84 2WD Colt Vista, 24; 87 4WD Colt Vista, 25; 82 Volvo 240, 20; 87 Jeep Cherokee (auto), 23; 95 Jeep Cherokee (stick), 22. In other words, not much difference except that the Pontiac sucked and the Volvo, despite its hippie cachet, was not an economy car either.
It's too bad we can't get better economy and utility together, and it's too bad that so many people buy unnecessarily large and fancy and powerful vehicles to do ordinary work with (forget the SUV's - there are plenty of people out there driving extended-cab long-bed dually pickups as daily drivers!), but inaccurate generalization doesn't get us anywhere.
However, we also need to remember how much fun it is to rag on SUV poseurs!
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